


try again

by krucxa



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Bad Days, Cats, Fluff, Keonhee just needed some comfort, M/M, Magical Realism, Pre-Relationship, Witches, does this count as, everything here is so vague i'm so sorry, there's magic but it's like Lowkey y'know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:13:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26323201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krucxa/pseuds/krucxa
Summary: On a cold, rainy day Keonhee finds out that the weekly visits from his neighbour's cat hold more meaning than he gave them credit for.
Relationships: Lee Keonhee/Yeo Hwanwoong
Comments: 3
Kudos: 64





	try again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [promise_mp3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/promise_mp3/gifts).



> first of all THIS IS A (late) BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR KAŚ (mwah) and I'M SORRY THAT IT TOOK ME TWO DAYS MORE THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BUT H E R E IT IS I HOPE YOU'LL LIKE IT 💕
> 
> also this isn't beta'd so there might be some typos? sorry for that dkdnnc

Everyone has bad days; Keonhee is well aware of that fact. Some more often than others, some slightly better or worse. But today, Keonhee thinks, might as well be titled the worst one of them all. At least, in Keonhee's book it is.

Well, he might be exaggerating a little, but there isn't really anything that has made today better for him. He woke up with a bad feeling, already aware that this morning is going to be a series of unfortunate events, but still clutching to the hope that his intuition might be wrong. It wasn't.

At noon, he figured that he may have been overreacting so he tried looking at the upsides, before fate decided to be a dick and ruin his day even further. Needless to say, any attempts at lifting his spirits were futile.

So, yes. If he's this unlucky today for no actual reason, Keonhee supposes he has every right to be dramatic.

He's wholly drenched, grumpy and extremely tired when he gets back home. It takes him longer than usual to fish out his keys because apparently he put them in the wrong pocket and had to pat himself all over to find them and now his clothes stick to his skin in an uncomfortable manner and the key slips between his now wet fingers and—it takes him a lot of mental strength to stop himself from making some pathetically sobbing noise because he's still technically in public and he just wants this day to finally end.

When he finally gets to open the door, though, he pauses.

There's a thin, grey cat sitting right in the middle of the corridor. Keonhee knows this cat, maybe even a bit too well, but the important thing is... it's not his. The cat likes to visit him every week, and is always weirdly punctual, at that, which Keonhee considers sort of weird but he decided to pay it no mind.

Today though Keonhee had to work overtime so he's not only late, but also the fact that it's Thursday—and by extension, Cat Visit Day—slipped his mind.

It's a nice surprise, though. The first good thing to happen that day, Keonhee muses as he stares down at the little furball and the cat blinks back at him, slowly, from its place on the floor. Maybe this is what he needs to cheer up, at least to an extent. Even if he knows that the kitten doesn't belong to him and its owner might get worried after it's gone for too long… he's weak. Weak to its cute little nose and those big dark eyes peering up at him.

Without really thinking it through, Keonhee closes the door before turning around again.

"Hello," he says, a bit quiet so that he doesn't spook the pet, then takes off his shoes and hangs his soaked coat on the rack. He didn't even take an umbrella with him so the sudden downpour was truly unfortunate. Now, the usual course of action would be for him to go shower and then put on some warm, dry clothes but the cat complicates things a bit and honestly, Keonhee would rather cuddle up with it first before anything else.

So. After deep and thorough contemplation—which only really consisted of _does he want to pet the cat? Obviously, yes_ —he steps closer, then crouches and takes the cat in his arms. It doesn't seem bothered neither by his action nor by his wet clothes, quite the opposite, actually—it buries deeper, tucking its head into his chest as if it sensed that he's feeling down, and the gesture is so adorable that Keonhee can't hold back a tiny smile. A tiny smile, that widens into a full grin as he continues to pet it just to hear a purr.

Ah, he really has a soft spot for this little furball.

He clicks his tongue, sending the cat a few kisses that the pet swiftly ignores but the fact doesn't deter him; instead, he proceeds to scratch under its chin and wonders aloud, "how long did you wait for me here? Shouldn't you go back home?"

Of course, the cat doesn't answer. It does lift its head though, staring up at Keonhee quietly, well, as quiet as it may be while still purring. He pouts, "you don't want to worry your owner, do you?"

As if knowing exactly what Keonhee is saying, the cat meows. Unfortunately, he has no idea what the noise could possibly mean, though he guesses it sounds somewhat affirmative. Maybe. He doesn't really know that much about cats so it's not like he can tell for sure.

So now, Keonhee has a choice to make.

What a scary thought.

Option one, he could take that quick shower, change into something comfortable and if the cat is still there, cuddle up with it in the living room while watching the first movie that manages to catch his attention for long enough. Hopefully something funny or a cute romance. He doesn't have the energy to watch anything scary, not right now and not _ever_ , thank you very much.

Or, and hear him out on this, he can bring the cat back to its home because it never stays this long at his place and now that Keonhee thinks about it, there's absolutely no way that its owner isn't at least a little bit worried by now.

It shouldn't take too long, given the fact that Keonhee is well aware where the cat lives. He also knows its owner, well, knows _of_ him, more than anything. Rumours, mostly, but it's not like the guy leaves his apartment often enough for Keonhee to conveniently run into him and check if any of the rumours are right or not. If not for the muffled music coming through the wall almost every time Keonhee gets back home, he would have assumed that the only reason he isn't seen often was the opposite—that is, the guy going out every chance he gets—but the noise says otherwise. At least he's got good music taste.

The thing is, Keonhee doesn't even know his name. What he does know, is that the dude doesn't look as intimidating as Keonhee had first pictured him in his head when he heard that his newly moved in next door neighbour might possibly be a witch—or something of the sort. Keonhee couldn't be more wrong, actually—he looks almost underwhelmingly normal. No super tall hats or black robes in sight. A bit under the average height, enough so that Keonhee had to do a double take the first time he saw him.

Or more like, the first time Keonhee didn't see him, and promptly ran right into him. Not the best first impression he could have hoped for but he'll manage.

He didn't get to see the other too much after that, but at least his neighbour doesn't seem to hold a grudge against him, based on the fact that they passed each other in the hall two days ago—which honestly felt a bit like a cryptid sighting to Keonhee—and the other smiled at him unprompted. So hopefully his Next Door Neighbour And Possibly Witch Question Mark isn't planning on hexing him any time soon.

Maybe, even, if Keonhee shows up by his doorstep with his cat in his arms, the neighbour will take a liking to him. Out of relief that his cat is safe. Or something.

It's a good plan, Keonhee deems. Though, it's a shame that he's currently soaked to the bone and doesn't really have the time to do anything about it if he wants to follow with said plan.

He'll just have to wing it. Hopefully he won't get sick, because that would be an even worse end to an already horrible day.

With that in mind, he carefully lets the cat down and runs into the bathroom, grabbing the first towel he sees then spends barely a minute trying to dry his hair. Realizing that's not going to work, he gives up, throwing the towel over his shoulders as if that's going to hide the fact that he's completely drenched, and he heads out, gaze immediately locking on the cat again. Fortunately, it sits right where he left it, curiously peering up at him, as if waiting. He smiles back.

There's no point in putting on any shoes, not when the entire walk he's signing up for is a couple steps down the hall, so. He simply picks up the cat again and exits his apartment. As he makes his way towards his neighbour's place, he glances back and is relieved to see that he doesn't leave any wet footprints, so maybe he isn't as utterly soaked as he feels. If he isn't literally dripping with water, then, that's a plus? In a way. Maybe his appearance won't alarm his neighbour too much like this.

He stops right in front of the door and he hesitates. Was coming here such a good idea? What if he'll end up making a fool of himself? Does this count as socially accepted behavior? He genuinely can't tell. But surely he's doing a good thing, bringing back a runaway cat. Even if he looks like he was thrown into a pool while still wearing his formal clothes, like a poor victim of a stupid prank. He certainly feels like a victim today, but that's besides the point.

Before he ends up changing his mind, he knocks. He does so lightly, careful not to drop the cat, partly hoping that his neighbour either isn't home or just isn't going to hear it, so he could go back to the safety of his place and cuddle with the kitty some more.

But then there's a loud sound that Keonhee can't decipher for the life of him, followed by muffled footsteps and before he's ready for it, the door cracks open, just the slightest bit. Someone—he can't really tell—peeks out, but then opens the door wider, supposedly after noticing the cat.

That's when Keonhee finally recognizes the other. It's his neighbour, of course, because who else would it be? Sure, he could have had some guests, but Keonhee would probably hear some sort of noise if that were the case, and, as usual, the only thing he can hear is a melody, this one somewhat calmer than some of the energetic songs he overheard before—the walls here are annoyingly thin—but he doesn't really mind that much, not when the sound of it makes him relax for once on this awful day.

For one, his neighbour seems glad to see his cat, but then his gaze travels up to Keonhee and he looks… surprised. Perhaps, a bit confused, too. But then his expression turns to that of worry.

"Are you alright?" he asks instead of a greeting, and Keonhee feels embarrassed over the fact that it takes him a moment to realize what the other is referring to.

He nods, lifting his arms a bit in hopes of bringing the attention to the cat instead, "yeah, I... I wasn't expecting it to rain so heavily, is all," with that, he glances down. It's stupid, he thinks, how shy he suddenly feels. All he planned was to bring the cat home. He didn't think he'd get this far, so of course he gets a bit flustered, "but that's not the point. Your cat came over again, but…"

He trails off, not entirely sure why he feels the need to explain himself, but his neighbour still isn't speaking so he takes it as a sign to go on, "it's late. I didn't want you to worry. Sorry."

The other raises an eyebrow when the last word leaves his mouth, though thankfully he doesn't comment on it. Keonhee would probably feel even more embarrassed if he pointed it out.

"Thank you," is all his neighbour says in reply, but the small smile attached to the words makes something stir in Keonhee's chest. Or maybe it's just the cat, because the next thing the man does is call its name, and it springs out of Keonhee's hold, rubbing against one of the neighbour's legs before scurrying off inside.

Xion, huh. Not your typical name for a cat. Keonhee can appreciate the originality.

"Are you sure you're okay, though?"

The words almost startle Keonhee. He didn't expect the other to say anything else, but when he glances down at him, his neighbour—man, he really needs to ask for his name at this point—is staring at him still, the concern now evident in his gaze, "and no, I don't mean," he pauses, gesturing vaguely towards Keonhee. Which is... fair, honestly, " _this_. It's just that… you seem sad."

Keonhee bites back a bitter smile, "is it that obvious?"

The other nods, crushing Keonhee's tiny, irrational hope. For a second, he looks like he's heavily considering something, and then he asks, "do you want to come in?"

It's so casual, an invitation that Keonhee could easily decline, and by the look of his face, his neighbour wouldn't really mind it if he did. But. Besides maybe his own embarrassment, there isn't actually a reason for him to decline. He's been somewhat curious about his neighbour since the other moved in, partly due to the rumours and partly because he seems like a genuinely nice person, so despite the fact that Keonhee is still drenched, still cold, and he still truly yearns for that warm, relaxing shower—he says yes.

He walks in, the door gets closed after him and Keonhee glances around. His neighbour introduces himself as Hwanwoong, and Keonhee offers his own name as well, although a bit absently. He's just too busy observing.

The small apartment is a mirror image of his own, well, at least the layout is. Other than that, there's something… unexplainable about this place. Something unlike what Keonhee is used to. Almost otherworldly, like he's just stepped into a scene straight out of a fairy tale. But that's just his imagination going wild, right?

The living room is filled with more plants than a single person could possibly ever need, but they're all in surprisingly good condition, too. Keonhee has no idea how Hwanwoong even manages to take care of them, when he finds the time for it all. He doesn't get to ask, though, because the other excuses himself to the kitchen after asking if he wants something to drink.

Keonhee doesn't know what it is about this room, but it makes him feel comfortable, somehow. In a way that even his own place doesn't.

Maybe it's the fact that as soon as he's done looking around, Xion wanders into the room, standing right before the couch and looking at Keonhee as if waiting for him to sit. He isn't sure if he should—it's not like he lives here, and, besides, he's still utterly drenched—but the unmoving stare guilts him into doing so.

The moment he sinks into the soft cushions, the cat jumps right into his lap, brushing against his hand before it makes itself comfortable. Keonhee scratches at its back, his gaze still wandering around the room until his thoughts are interrupted by footsteps.

Hwanwoong walks in with a single mug clutched tightly in both hands, steam floating off into the air slowly, the sight almost weirdly calming. Keonhee gets the feeling that the comfort that settles deep in his chest isn't exactly normal, but even so, he doesn't mind it. It's a nice change, actually, compared to all the stress he was subjected to the entire day.

"I took a seat, sorry, I didn't want to get your couch wet, it's just that," he pauses, sheepishly pointing towards the cat in his lap. Hwanwoong glances at it and smiles, but there's something in his eyes that Keonhee doesn't really get. Like he's suspicious of the cat, or wants to nag it, or something. As if a cat would even understand him.

This entire situation feels somewhat odd, in the unrealistic kind of way. Mystical, almost. Maybe the rumours had a hint of truth about them. Maybe Hwanwoong isn't as normal as he would like everyone to think.

Keonhee doesn't even try to hide his curiosity as he takes the mug that Hwanwoong offers to him, immediately looking into it. It warms his palms as he holds onto it, and the drink doesn't look nor smell weird, but even without taking a single sip of it, Keonhee suddenly feels content.

He sniffs the air again, earning himself an amused glance from Hwanwoong as the other sits a respectable distance away on the couch. Even though everything about this place makes Keonhee deeply comfortable, the sole fact that it _does_ makes him a bit suspicious.

So, he decides not to beat around the bush.

Raising his hands, and, by extension, the mug, he looks at Hwanwoong pointedly and asks, "is this a potion?"

The thing is, he kind of expected the other to startle, get defensive or stare at him in shock then deny it immediately. That's why, in turn, he's the one surprised when Hwanwoong's lips quirk upwards. Almost as if he'd expected the question. For all that Keonhee knows, maybe he actually did.

"Everything is, if you really want it to be," he replies, voice light in a way that doesn't sound appropriate for the topic. It's like he's talking about something as usual as weather, instead of magic; something that everyone nowadays is somewhat aware of, but only few actually believe in. Keonhee squints, and Hwanwoong laughs at his expression before nodding towards the drink, "it's warm milk with honey and cinnamon, actually," he explains. That's all Keonhee needs to hear before he finally tries it.

He doesn't think the simple drink ever tasted so good the few times he made it for himself.

As Keonhee wonders, the other moves to properly face him, then continues his thought, "to answer you, well… it always makes me feel all warm inside, and it cheers me up whenever I need it. So, if you want to look at it this way, since it makes me happy, it _is_ a happiness potion."

The words sound almost absurd to him, yet Keonhee finds himself nodding along anyway. Perhaps it's easier to believe under such circumstances. Or maybe it's just the fact that it's Hwanwoong who says it. Even though he doesn't know the other well, he feels like he can trust Hwanwoong. Maybe he's just naive, though he likes to think of it as simply being approachable.

He wants to say how much he likes the drink, but going by Hwanwoong's satisfied face, he may already know somehow. So, instead, Keonhee just says, "thank you."

He's vaguely aware of Xion purring as the cat raises, just to turn to lie on the other side. He can still hear the heavy rain outside, a gloomy reminder that he's still very much soaked, but his state doesn't seem to affect anything inside the room. There aren't any noticeable droplets scattered around the path he took to sit on the couch, and the couch itself seems completely dry as well, which probably shouldn't be possible, not when his legs are weighted down by drenched cloth and feel like they're about to freeze despite the warmth of the apartment.

If not for the constant rainfall outside, Keonhee would think he really stepped into some separate world, unlike the one he knows so well. Honestly, a part of his mind might believe he did so, anyway.

"You're welcome," Hwanwoong says, successfully pulling him out of his thoughts. When Keonhee turns to look at him, he wonders if the plants placed on the windowsill right behind them really are reaching out towards Hwanwoong or if the vines are naturally pointed in this direction.

Or maybe he's just seeing things. Maybe he's paying too much attention to unimportant details.

Even though it's all in the details. It's only the smallest things that make this entire place feel somewhat unreal.

"If it's okay for me to ask, why are you so…" Hwanwoong drifts off, clearly looking for the right way to put it without accidentally insulting him, but before he can finish his sentence Keonhee quips, "miserable?"

The other pauses, blinks. The surprise on his face turns into amusement right before he huffs out a disbelieving chuckle, "not quite the word I would use but, yeah."

Keonhee has no idea why that tiny smile—though calling it a smile might have been a stretch, it's barely even there—comforts him so much. Maybe there's actually some magic involved. At this point, Keonhee wouldn't even be surprised. Something about this place just made him… believe.

Choosing to ignore it, he shrugs, "had a bad day."

"Bad day?" Hwanwoong repeats. Prodding further but vague enough so that Keonhee can dodge the question easily. He appreciates the effort.

Though he really doesn't want to talk about it, so all he does is complain shortly, "terrible day. the worst, really."

The other nods, peering at Keonhee curiously before looking away. There's a digital clock on a shelf facing them, and Keonhee guesses that's where Hwanwoong's gaze turns to; Keonhee might be wrong, but the seconds seem to tick by slower than normal.

He probably _is_ wrong, though. Because there's no way that's actually happening.

"Good news, then," Hwanwoong chimes up, voice a bit lighter, as if he's trying to cheer Keonhee up, "it's already late, so. Today will be over soon."

Sounds about right. Keonhee doesn't bother to hide his laugh, and Hwanwoong looks satisfied by that.

Even though his clothes are still sticking to his skin, the mug he's holding onto warms him up enough that he doesn't even notice it anymore. That, paired with Xion sleeping in his lap, pawing at his thighs every now and then as Hwanwoong reaches out to scratch the cat's chin—it's just… nice.

So, so nice.

Maybe he doesn't want this day to end so quickly after all.

So he tries to think of a new topic, but of course the first thing that comes to mind is the man sitting beside him. In any other situation, Keonhee would kick himself in his mind for being distracted, but, well, he's here. In his neighbour's apartment. And he's still not sure if the rumours are actually true or not because so far Hwanwoong's only explanation has been questionably vague and at this point Keonhee's curiosity will drive him mad.

Is there any point in being subtle? Not really, at least Keonhee doesn't see any reason to do so when he literally came into this guy's place soaked and with a cat in his arms. They're already past subtle, this moment is so bizarre that he reckons he can continue being as straightforward as he wants.

So without further ado, he points to the cat in his lap and tries to keep a straight face as he asks, "is Xion your familiar?"

Once again, he expects two things. Either for Hwanwoong to easily admit it or get confused and say no. And once again, he's proved wrong.

The corner of Hwanwoong's mouth tilts up, and he says, "in all forms except official, yes, you could say that he is."

He. Keonhee makes a mental note of the pronoun.

Even though he has no idea what that sentence could actually mean; the words sound like an inside joke that Keonhee has no way of knowing. The cat in question moves, raising his head with a possibly annoyed flick of the ear before he turns to stare at Hwanwoong. If Keonhee didn't know better, he'd say that Xion is glaring.

He wants to comment, maybe say that _Xion seems like a smart cat, it almost looks as if he understands us_ with a tense laugh attached—but he's got a feeling that this isn't the right thing to do, almost like saying it would come off as an insult, somehow. And he cherishes the fact that the kitty seems to like him, and like him a lot, at that, so he doesn't want to ruin it now.

Though he does wonder why Xion chose to visit him, specifically, every week, out of everyone living in this building. They live on the same floor, sure, but he can't recall ever encountering the cat before it first showed up in his apartment almost two months ago.

But it's not like that matters now. What does matter is that Xion is curled up in his lap and Keonhee really, _really_ can't help but feel a surge of affection for the kitty so he does the first thing his mind tells him to; he lowers his head and buries his face into the little furball because he's still holding onto the mug and can't pet it any other way.

Xion makes a tiny confused mewl but doesn't react otherwise. Keonhee's heart squeezes at the cute sound.

"That's not the proper way to pet a cat," Hwanwoong comments, his voice positively amused.

Keonhee huffs out a chuckle, and Xion squirms under him, the cat's fur tickling his nose and sadly, he has to sit up straight again to avoid sneezing, "no, but it's the way I show affection."

Hwanwoong hums. Keonhee isn't sure if the way the other is looking at him leans more into curiosity or concern.

"Huh," is all that Hwanwoong says for a moment, then adds in jokingly, "so you're going to nuzzle me too?"

Keonhee blinks, considering the question.

"If we get close enough," he settles on, sending the other a teasing smile. In reply, Hwanwoong gasps, raising a hand up to his chest as if wounded as he plays along.

"So you like my cat better than me… I see how it is," he utters, but before Keonhee could even think of a response, he drops his arm and says, breaking the character, "can't blame you though."

Curious, Keonhee raises an eyebrow, just as the cat squirms in his lap, then moves to face away from Hwanwoong, almost like he's embarrassed. To say that Keonhee is intrigued would be an understatement.

He chooses not to comment on it, though. Bringing the mug to his lips as an excuse not to speak, he takes another sip—and even though so much time has passed, the drink is just as warm as before. At this point, even his clothes started to dry, and yet, the milk still manages to bring heat to his palms. The slow ticking of the clock reaches his ears but when he checks the time, it's way earlier than he expects, as if he'd only spent half the time inside rather than how much he actually did.

And most important of all, Keonhee doesn't consider this day as terrible as he did before he came home. Not if he got to know Hwanwoong—and spent more time with his cat—because of it.

Maybe, just maybe, the few things he'd heard here and there were right. Maybe Hwanwoong really is a witch, and maybe Xion isn't just a normal cat either. There's something unexplainable about the two of them, though Keonhee finds himself unwilling to ask this time. Not that he's not curious anymore, no, it's just that he'd rather find out the specifics himself. This way, the reward would feel more satisfying.

As he drinks, he peers down at the cat, wondering if what he's able to see is truly all there is to Xion or not. With time, he deems, he'll determine it eventually.

Maybe he's too easily convinced or he might not be sceptical enough, but for some reason, he's inclined to believe that somewhere along the line, there's magic involved.

And maybe Hwanwoong was right about the drink being a potion, because in that moment—with Xion still sprawled out in his lap while Hwanwoong inches closer to pet the cat's belly—Keonhee really does feel happy.

**Author's Note:**

> if you're wondering: juju isn't actually a cat lmao
> 
> anyway i hope that u liked this!! even though tbh not much happens in this oneshot dpsjkd
> 
> \+ here's my [twt](https://twitter.com/ddonibell)!


End file.
